15 positive observations from the weekend of football, seven not so positive observations and we acknowledge a “zero” from outside the world of football. A reminder, there’s never any Ravens game analysis here. We do plenty of that elsewhere. It’s a trip through the weekend of football via videos, GIFs, memes, pictures, links, Tweets and shtick. This isn’t where we do Ravens stuff. You can find plenty of that…like…everywhere else on the site.

Did you know that you were exactly like a Major League Baseball GM? It’s true. For example: how many good baseball players have you acquired this offseason?

Setting the Stage
• Navy and San Jose State will meet for the third time on the gridiron when the two square off on Friday night at Spartan Stadium (30,456) in San Jose. Kickoff is set for 6:30 pm local time, 9:30 pm in Annapolis.
• Friday’s game will be televised nationally by ESPN2 with Carter Blackburn (play-by-play), Danny Kanell (color) and Allison Willliams (sideline) on the call.

Navy Tops South Alabama 42-14 To Become Bowl Eligible
• (AP) – Darius Staten made his final home appearance a memorable one with a career-high 127 yards on seven carries with a touchdown to lead Navy to a 42-14 victory over South Alabama.
• The Mids, who scored 22 consecutive points in the second half, finished undefeated at home for the first time since 2004.
• South Alabama’s Ross Metheny completed 18 of 27 passes for 160 yards with two touchdown passes to Shavarez Smith, who had five receptions for 65 yards.
• Brandon Bridge replaced Metheny at quarterback and put together a 20-play, 89-yard drive that was stalled at the Navy 4 when Kendall Houston was stuffed by Cody Peterson on fourth-and-2 with 11:12 left in the game. Navy then put the game away on the next possession on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Keenan Reynolds to Matt Aiken.
• Navy backup quarterback Tago Smith added another 24-yard scoring run with 2:17 left for the 42-14 lead. The Mids racked up 519 total yards, with 351 coming from the rushing attack.
• Navy opened an early 3-0 lead on its first possession with a 37-yard field goal by Nick Sloan. The Jaguars then responded with a 14-play, 78-yard scoring drive, capped by a 4-yard pass from Metheny to Smith.
• Staten then gave Navy a 10-7 lead with 13:24 left in the half with a 17-yard touchdown run. After being helped by a roughing the passer penalty on Navy’sChris Johnson, South Alabama went ahead again when Metheny and Smith teamed up for a 22-yard touchdown.
• The shootout continued on the next possession as Navy scored again on a 7-yard run by Shawn White, who carried three defenders into the end zone. The Mids increased the lead to 20-14 with 34 seconds remaining in the half on a 21-yard field goal by Sloan.

Navy Qualifies For Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
• Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced after Saturday’s victory over South Alabama that the Naval Academy has qualified to play in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on Monday, Dec. 30 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas against a projected opponent from the Mountain West. Kickoff is set for 10:45 am in Fort Worth (11:45 am in Annapolis) and will be televised nationally by ESPN. This will be Navy’s 10th bowl game in the last 11 seasons.
• This will be Navy’s fifth trip to Texas for a bowl game and the first since Navy’s 35-13 rout of Missouri in the 2009 Texas Bowl in Houston. Navy also played in the 2003 EV1.net Houston Bowl (lost to Texas Tech, 38-14), the 1964 Cotton Bowl in Dallas (lost to Texas, 28-6) and the 1958 Cotton Bowl in Dallas (beat Rice, 20-7).
• Tickets for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl are on sale now at: http://bit.ly/17zldT1
• Tickets can also be purchased starting Monday morning at 9 a.m. by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY or at the Ricketts Hall Ticket Office.
• Ticket prices are $30 (Lower Level & Upper Level End Zone), $40 (Upper Level Sideline), and $50 (Lower Level Sideline). The only way to sit with the Navy contingent is to buy your tickets through the Navy Ticket Office.
• Fans can also purchase tickets to sponsor midshipmen and enlisted personnel and their families for $50 per ticket. Donated tickets are 100% tax deductible.
• The Naval Academy class that donates the most tickets receives a 30% discount on football season tickets for 2014 for every member that donates four or more tickets. Any individual that donates 10 tickets or more will receive a 30% discount on the 2014 season ticket package regardless of class affiliation. Be sure to donate in your correct ticket account that signifies you as a USNA Alumni.
• “We strongly encourage Navy fans to buy their bowl tickets directly from the Naval Academy Athletic Association,” said Gladchuk. “It is very important for this game and for future Navy bowl considerations for our fans to purchase tickets through the NAAA. If you can’t make it to the game, we ask that Navy fans buy tickets for our midshipmen and enlisted personnel which will allow us to create the usual pageantry of Navy football.”
• Anthony Travel is the official Naval Academy Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl travel agency. Travel packages include hotel accommodations at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel (Navy team hotel). Visit http://bit.ly/1csCTT5 and search Navy Bowl or call (888) 632-6951 to make your reservations.

Scouting San Jose State
• The Spartans enter Friday’s game with a 5-5 record and in need of one victory in the next two games to become bowl eligible. San Jose State owns victories over Sacramento State (24-0), Hawai’i (37-27), Colorado State (34-27), Wyoming (51-44) and UNLV (34-24). Its losses have come at the hands of Stanford (34-13), Minnesota (43-24), Utah State (40-12), San Diego State (34-30) and Nevada (38-16).
• San Jose State is led by senior quarterback David Fales, who is a probable first-round draft pick. Fales has completed 60 percent of his passes (233-386) for 3,202 yards with 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Fales is 12th in the country in completions per game (23.3), eighth in passing yards per game (320.2) and 14th in total offense per game (317.6).
• The Spartans are 11th in the country in passing offense, averaging 325.4 yards per game and are 22nd in the country in passing yards per completion, averaging 13.7.
• Senior wide receiver Chandler Jones has been Fales’ favorite target as he has caught 64 passes for 1,109 yards and 11 touchdowns. Jones is fifth in the nation in touchdown catches (11) and seventh in receiving yards per game (110.9). His 6.4 catches per game ranks 25th best in the country.
• Freshman running back Jarrod Lawson has carried the ball 124 times for 646 yards with three touchdowns.
• Senior linebacker Keith Smith is one of the top linebackers in the country. He has recorded 137 tackles and eight tackles for a loss on the year and his 13.7 tackles per game is No. 1 in the country. Smith is averaging 6.9 solo tackles per game, which stands third in the country (just behind Navy’s Cody Peterson). Freshman linebacker Christian Tago has recorded 74 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks.
• Senior corner Bene Benwikere has picked off five passes and broken up 10 more passes on the year. He is ranked seventh in the country in interceptions per game (0.6) and fourth in the country in passes broken up per game (1.7).
• Sophomore kicker Austin Lopez is one of the top kickers in the country, making 19 of his 23 field goal attempts and all 28 of his extra-point attempts. Lopez is second in the country in field goals per game, averaging 1.9 per contest.
• San Jose State has lost just five fumbles on the year, which ranks 18th in the country.

Navy vs. The Mountain West
• Navy is 22-34 (.393) all-time against teams currently residing in the Mountain West Conference and is 2-0 this year with victories over Air Force and Hawai’i. Navy will play a fourth Mountain West Conference team on Dec. 30 in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.
• The Mids have played six – Air Force, Colorado State, Hawai’i, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State – of the 12 teams that make up the Mountain West.

Niumatalolo Passes Paul Johnson For Third At Navy In Career Wins
• Ken Niumatalolo has led the Midshipmen to a 46-30 (.605) record in his six seasons as the head coach. He is third all-time at Navy in career wins.
• Niumatalolo holds Navy coaching records for most wins in the first two seasons (18), three seasons (27), four seasons (32), five seasons (40) and sixth seasons (46) of a career.
• Niumatalolo is the first Samoan head football coach on the collegiate level and the second Polynesian head coach in FBS history (Larry Price, who was the head coach at Hawai’i from 1974-76, was the first).
• Niumatalolo was recently selected as a member of the inaugural class for the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.

The Red Zone
• Navy has scored on 40 of its 45 possessions (.889) in the red zone this year, scoring 33 touchdowns (.733), kicking seven field goals, missing two field goals, taking a knee to end the game in Navy’s 51-7 victory over Delaware and losing it on downs. The Mids are ranked 25th in the country in red zone offense.
• The opposition has scored on 27 of its 35 red zone opportunities (.771), scoring 25 touchdowns (.714), kicking two field goals, throwing two interceptions, stopped on downs tweice, took a knee once (Duke) and missed three field goals. Navy is ranked 30th in the country in red zone defense.

Inside Linebackers Cleaning Up On Tackles
• Navy senior inside linebackers Cody Peterson and DJ Sargenti have been all over the field for the Navy defense this season.
• Peterson, the Mids’ defensive captain, is No. 2 in the country in solo tackles per game, averaging 7.4 per contest, and is tied for eighth nationally in total tackles, averaging 10.6 per contest.
• Sargenti, who had never even recorded a tackle prior to this year and wasn’t moved to inside linebacker (was a QB as a freshman and OLB as a sophomore and junior) until the start of fall practice, is 39th in the country in solo tackles, averaging 5.3 per game, and 95th in total tackles averaging 7.9 per contest.

ESPN announced the telecast schedule for seven of its Mountain West Conference college football games for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU during the 2013 season. The lineup includes one Thursday and six Friday and night games. Additional telecasts will be announced in the coming months. Highlights:

ESPN will televise a Mountain West matchup over four consecutive Fridays from September 13 to October 4, highlighted by at least one telecast of the three teams that claimed a share of the conference championship: Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State.

The schedule includes multiple telecasts involving Boise State, highlighted by a showdown against Fresno State on Friday, Sept. 20, at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Boise State defeated Fresno State 20-10 last season, giving the Bulldogs its only conference loss of the 2012 campaign. ESPN will also televise the Broncos against Air Force on Friday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m.

San Diego State, coming off a 7-1 conference record in 2012, will host Nevada on Friday, Oct. 4, at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

ESPN will televise a matchup between new conference members Utah State and San Jose State on Friday, Sept. 27, at 9 p.m. ESPN2 will also televise San Jose State in a non-conference game against Navy on Friday, Nov. 22, at 9:30 p.m.

The 2013 season marks the first year of a multi-year agreement between ESPN and the Mountain West for rights to select conference-controlled football and basketball games through the 2019-20 campaign. As part of the deal, ESPN will acquire exclusive worldwide rights to televise up to 16 Mountain West football games plus every Boise State home game as well as up to 31 conference-controlled men’s basketball games annually.

In 2012, ESPN televised four MW football games through a sublicense agreement. It marked the first time ESPN had televised Mountain West games from a member institution’s home venue since 2005. ESPN had a regular schedule of conference member home games from the league’s inception in 1999 to 2005 and televised BYU vs. TCU at Cowboys Stadium on Friday, Oct. 28, 2011.

2013 Mountain West Schedule as of April 23 (additional selections will be announced):

Setting the Stage
• Navy and San Jose State will meet for just the second time on the gridiron when they square off at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm and the game is presented by BB&T.
• San Jose State defeated Navy last year, 27-24, in San Jose. The loss knocked the Midshipmen out of a bowl game and ended Navy’s eight-year run of playing in the postseason.
• Saturday’s game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network with Grant Boone, Todd Christensen and Sheehan Stanwick Burch calling the action.
• The Navy Football Tailgate Show on WNAV 1430 AM / 99.9 FM will air at 1:30 pm with Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller live from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• The Navy Football Pregame Show with Bob Socci, Omar Nelson and Pete Medhurst will get underway at 2:30 pm, followed by game action beginning at 3:30 pm on the Navy Radio Network.
• Following the contest, Joe Miller and Pete Medhurst will recap the day’s events in a 60-minute postgame show live on WNAV 1430 AM / 99.9 FM and WFED 1050 AM.
• The tailgate show, the pregame show, the game and the postgame show are available over the internet to Navy All-Access subscribers. You can also check the web sites of the individual stations for live streaming of the game.

Game Day Festivities
• Pregame festivities will get underway at approximately 1:00 pm with the Navy Football Team Walk. Originating at the Blue Angel in the southwest corner of the stadium, the team will make its way down the sidewalk and through NavyFest before walking up the drive to the stadium. Fans are encouraged to line up on both sides of the sidewalk to cheer for the team.
• The March-On of the Brigade of Midshipmen will take place at 3:09 pm. The march-on will be broadcast live for Navy All-Access subscribers.
• Saturday’s fly-over will be two F-18’s and will take place at 3:31:10 pm. The pilots are from VFA-204 “River Rattlers” out of New Orleans, La.
• At the third timeout of the first quarter, the Naval Academy Athletic Association will recognize Lt. Brad Snyder who recently won two gold medals and one silver at the Paralympic Games in London.
• Snyder is a 2006 graduate of the Naval Academy and served as team captain his season year. Snyder’s service assignment was Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer and he served a tour in Iraq before returning to the U.S. and then began serving a tour in Afghanistan in April, 2011.
• On September 7, 2011, Snyder was providing aid to two Afghan soldiers who were victims of an improvised explosive device explosion when he detonated an IED himself. The blast was centered on his face and resulted in him losing his eyesight in both eyes.
• Snyder resumed swimming in the fall of 2011 and qualified for the 2012 Paralympics after shaving more than 40 seconds off his time. On the first day of competition in the Paralympics, he won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle and the silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle.
• On Sept. 7, 2012, one year to the day of losing his eyesight, Snyder competed in and won the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle. The following day, Snyder was selected by his teammates to carry the U.S. flag during the closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games. He then helped to present the flag to the President when all Olympians and Paralympians visited the White House.
• Between the first and second quarter, the Naval Academy Athletic Association will honor the Navy women’s lacrosse team. Head coach Cindy Timchal guided the Mids to their third straight Patriot League title and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012. Navy (18-3, 6-0 Patriot League) won a program-record 18 games and finished the season ranked No. 14 in the national RPI rankings and No. 19 in the deBeer Media Poll.
• In 2012, Timchal became the first college lacrosse coach to win 400 games and earned induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
• Timchal was also named the 2012 Patriot League Coach of the Year. Junior attacker Jasmine DePompeo was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and to the IWLCA All-South Region squad, Loren Generi was named the league’s rookie of the year and Kathy Young was the MVP of the league’s postseason tournament. Also, six Midshipmen earned first or second-team all-league honors.
• The Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps will perform at halftime.

Scouting San Jose State
• The Spartans are off to a 3-1 start with victories over UC Davis (45-13), Colorado State (40-20) and at San Diego State (38-34). San Jose State’s only loss came at then-No. 21 Stanford, 20-17. The Cardinal are currently ranked eighth in the country and own a victory over USC.
• Junior college quarterback David Fales has been lighting it up for the Spartans, completing 72 percent of his passes. Fales has thrown nine touchdown passes and just two interceptions.
• Fales’ favorite targets are Noel Grigsby and Jabari Carr. Both lead the team with 22 receptions. Chandler Jones has five touchdown catches among his 13 receptions.
• De’Leon Eskridge leads the Spartan rushing attack with 298 yards and three touchdowns on 59 carries.
• Vince Buhagiar is the leading tackler with 35 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks, while Cullen Newsome has 29 tackles and one pass break-up.
• San Jose State ranks fourth in the nation in sacks per game (4.25), 13th in passing efficiency (170.9), 17th in kickoff returns (27.6) and 20th in passing offense (305.8)
• Travis Johnson ranks fourth in the nation in tackles for a loss (2.4) and sacks (1.5) per game, while punter Harrison Waid ranks tied for 13th (45.4 per game) in punting average and Fales is 21st in passing efficiency (162.97)

The Last Time … San Jose State 27, Navy 24 Nov. 19, 2011 | San Jose, Calif.
• Navy was knocked out of postseason play after going to eight-straight bowl games when the Mids lost at San Jose State, 27-24, in front of 25,114 at Spartan Stadium.
• The Navy offense started poorly gaining just 17 yards on its first two drives. Jens Alvernik capped a six-play, 34-yard drive with a 44-yard field goal on San Jose State’s first possession and running back Brandon Rutley scored from three yards out on the Spartans’ second drive as San Jose State jumped out to a 10-0 lead.
• The Mids finally got on the board early in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Kriss Proctor. The scoring drive was set up when Tra’ves Bush picked off a pass that was batted in the air by Matt Warrick.
• After Navy forced San Jose to go three and out, the Mids scored in three plays to take a 14-10 lead as Proctor hit wide receiver Brandon Turner for 29 yards and then two plays later Aaron Santiago scored on a phenomenal 35-yard touchdown run.
• The Navy defense, however, would give the momentum right back to San Jose as it allowed the Spartans to march down the field (80 yards, 10 plays, 4:27) which was capped off by a Rutley one-yard touchdown run to make the score 17-14 Spartans.
• Navy looked to answer when the Mids had slot back John Howell wide open 40 yards down the field on a first-and-10 play from the San Jose 46, but Proctor lost control of the ball and the fumble was recovered by San Jose’s Vince Bhaglar.
• The fumble led to an Alvernik 23-yard field goal with 32 seconds left in the half to give San Jose State a 20-14 lead at intermission.
• The Mids drove down to the San Jose State three-yard line in the third, but had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Jon Teague.
• The Mids took a 24-20 lead as Proctor scored from two yards out with 2:05 left in the third.
• San Jose, however, marched 73 yards on six plays with Faulkner hitting Jabari Carr with a 13-yard touchdown to give the Spartans a 27-24 lead with 14:56 left in the game.
• On Navy’s next drive, freshman holder Pablo Beltran fumbled the snap on what would have been a 45-yard field goal attempt by Teague and the Mids’ scoring drive came up empty. Navy would get the ball back two more times, but failed to score on either possession.

Navy Versus The WAC
• Navy is 2-1 (.667) all-time against teams currently in the WAC. The Mids are 2-0 against Louisiana Tech and 0-1 against San Jose State. The Mids play host to WAC member Texas State on Nov. 17.
• Other schools that make up the WAC include Texas-San Antonio, Utah State, New Mexico State and Idaho.

Quessenberry vs. Quessenberry
• There is a good chance that brothers Paul and David Quessenberry will meet head-on in Saturday’s game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• Paul, 6-2 and 230 pounds, is a sophomore defensive end for Navy that has worked his way into the rotation at defensive end. In three games, Quessenberry has recorded five tackles and a half sack.
• David, 6-6 and 295 pounds, is a senior offensive tackle for San Jose State that has played in 39 games and made 27 starts for the Spartans. He was a Second-Team All-WAC performer as a junior and was a preseason first-team selection this year. He was also named to the 2012 Lombardi Award watch list and is one of four team captains for the Spartans.

Navy Nuggets
• Playing Notre Dame in Dublin and Penn State at State College was the toughest first two games in school history.
• In the last 40 years, Navy has started the year with two FBS opponents just eight times and only twice (2005 and 1982) did Navy go on to have a winning record.
• Navy lost to Maryland in Baltimore and at home against Stanford to start the 2005 season and finished 8-4; lost to Virginia and at Boston College in 1992 and finished 1-10; beat Virginia and lost at Indiana in 1986 and finished 3-8; won at North Carolina and lost to Virginia in 1984 and finished 4-6-1; lost at Virginia and to Mississippi State at home to start the year in 1983 and finished 3-8; beat Virginia and lost to Arkansas in Little Rock in 1982 and finished 6-5; beat Virginia and won at Penn State in 1974 and finished 4-7.
• The Mids have been shut out in the first quarter in seven of the last 11 games dating back to last year and have not scored a touchdown in the first quarter in 10 of the last 12 games.
• The Mids have been outscored 30-3 in the first quarter this year and 82-23 in the first quarter over the last 12 games dating back to last year.
• Navy owns a 16-6 (.727) record in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium under Ken Niumataloloand is 17-17 (.500) away from home.
• Navy has already turned the ball over 10 times this year (eight lost fumbles and two interceptions) after committing just 15 turnovers in 2011 (nine lost fumbles and six interceptions).
• Navy led the country in fewest penalties last year with just 28. However, it has already committed 16 penalties in the first three games, including seven each against Penn State and VMI. It is the first time Navy has been whistled for seven penalties or more in back-to-back games since 2000 (12 against Tulane and nine against Wake Forest).
• In Navy’s last six wins it has outscored the opposition, 118-34, in the first half, including 46-3 in the first quarter.
• In Navy’s 33 wins under Niumatalolo, the Mids have outscored the opposition 519-311 in the first half, including 258-108 in the first quarter
• In the Mids’ last nine losses, Navy has been outscored, 199-69, in the first half, including 86-10 in the first quarter.
• In Navy’s 23 losses under Niumatalolo, the Mids have been outscored 444-218 in the first half, including 202-71 in the first quarter.
• Under Niumatalolo, the Mids are 21-3 (.875) when leading after the first quarter and 12-20 (.375) when trailing or tied after the first stanza.
• Navy has been held under 300 yards rushing in eight of its last 15 games and the Mids are just 1-7 (.125) in those games (Army is the lone win).
• The Mids are 18-5 (.783) under Niumatalolo when rushing for 300 yards or more and 15-18 (.455) when the offense is held under 300 yards rushing.
• Navy is 27-4 (.870) under Niumatalolo when scoring first and 6-19 (.240) when the opponent scores first. Navy had lost the last nine games (over the last three years) when the opposition scores first before beating VMI last Saturday.
• An opposing running back has rushed for over 100 yards in a game against Navy in nine of the last 15 contests. In the previous 40 games, Navy surrendered only nine 100-yard rushing games to opposing running backs.

HOLY HELL I WANT TO DO NOTHING BUT WATCH THE AVENGERS ALL NIGHT EVERY NIGHT THIS WEEK IT’S SO FREAKING AMAZING OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD AND I WANT TO DO ALL OF IT WHILE EATING SHAWARMA!!!!